Udall, Heinrich join Pearce in staffing Las Cruces offices

LAS CRUCES >> The three local offices of New Mexico congressmen are back open again despite the ongoing government shutdown.

Two of the offices, those for Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., reopened Friday morning. The office for Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., had been open since Monday.

All three had been closed for several days due to a continued stalemate over government spending. A major sticking point has been the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Other squabbles surround budget issues.

Like federal employees in some other departments, congressional office staffers have returned to work thanks to a House bill that authorized back pay, but will not be paid until the impasse is resolved, officials said.

That bill has not yet been passed by the Senate, but spokeswomen for Udall and Heinrich said in emails Friday that Senate negotiations on a similar bill are progressing, which is part of the reason the senators sent staffers back to work.

While the business hours of each office remains unaffected, there may be limitations on what help officials can provide to constituents because that can depend on other federal agencies that may be closed, Heinrich spokeswoman Whitney Potter said.

Also, Potter noted, because the shutdown remains in flux and talks are ongoing, the offices could close again.

Employees were working at all three offices the Sun-News visited Friday. Calls to all three offices were answered.

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Officials wanted to remind constituents to call back if the line is busy, because that simply means they are tending to other phone calls, not that the office is closed.